Tiffany Treanor-Johnson, 27, of Bramshaw Road, Hackney, was sentenced to 10 years and nine months in prison on Friday at Snaresbrook Crown Court for causing the death of cyclist Harry Webb. She had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after striking Webb while driving at 53mph in a 20mph zone on September 10, 2023. Judge Rosa Dean also disqualified her from driving for 10 years.
Details of the Collision
The crash occurred at the junction of Kenworthy Road and Hassett Road in Hackney. Treanor-Johnson, who had been inhaling nitrous oxide, a class C drug, hit Webb, then drove onto the pavement and collided with another car. She drove off, leaving Webb, a 27-year-old music student at the London College of Contemporary Music (LCCM), seriously injured on the side of the road. Webb died days later in hospital; he has since been awarded his masters degree posthumously.
Prosecutor Fiona Robertson told the court that Webb had moved into new accommodation to start his second year at LCCM that day and had called his father to thank him for his help. “The call suddenly went silent as Harry was struck and fatally injured on Kenworthy Road,” Robertson said. A member of the public found Webb’s mobile phone and relayed the news to his father, advising him to return to London.
Victim Impact Statements
In a victim impact statement, Webb’s mother Pat said having him as a son was “the greatest honour,” adding he made “a positive impression to everyone.” She told the court: “My life ended on September 10, 2023 after receiving a call from the surgeon. We had just moved him into his new accommodation that day. How can someone smash into him and drive away? Watching someone you love die is an image you’ll never forget. I cannot bear waking up without him every day. We have no future left, each day is painful.”
Webb’s father Mike, in a statement read by the prosecutor, said he felt “so helpless” being “miles away” when the collision happened. “The sound of the emergency sirens rushing to the scene will always haunt me. We both miss Harry constantly,” he said. Friend George added: “Nothing could have prepared me for suddenly losing Harry. He was the most fun, caring, intelligent and wonderfully caring person you could ever meet. I will surely suffer from the loss of him for the rest of my life.”
Aftermath and Sentencing
After the collision, Treanor-Johnson’s Audi hit a red Citroen. The Citroen driver, Brenton Henry, said he made eye contact with her and pulled forward to stop her as she continued into Ballance Road. Henry took her car keys to prevent her from leaving. Two girls in the back of Treanor-Johnson’s car removed a bag and left the scene. Police arrived, found Webb lying on the floor, and arrested Treanor-Johnson. Officers found fragments of balloons used to inhale laughing gas in her car.
Mitigating, Stephanie Panchkowry said: “Ms Treanor-Johnson was clearly in a state of shock at the time of what had happened. She has always put forward that she was not evading, deliberately, what had happened.” Judge Dean told Treanor-Johnson: “You are solely to blame for the collision. I am sure that you were probably impaired due to taking balloons. We must all hope that you truly are sorry.” Treanor-Johnson had initially denied one count of causing death by dangerous driving before changing her plea to guilty in April this year. Many friends and family members of Webb attended the hearing, where Treanor-Johnson wept in the dock as the statements were read.
